Post-traumatic stress in the armed forces: Health economic considerations

This paper discesses the uses of health economics in relation to posttrauamtic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Armed Forces, with a view to assessing the feasibiity of carrying out future evalutive studies. Although psychologoical and pharmacological interventions can be used to treat PTSD, no economic evaluations are known to exist. There is an econimic 'burden' associated with PTSD and treatments require the use of scarce resources. Health economics provides tools (inlcuding cost-effectivness, cost-benefit and cost utility analyses) to ascertain the relative efficiency of different treatment options. This paper concludes that the quality of life and resource consequences of PTSD require a better understanding of the economics of the disorder and the alternative ways to treat it.

Journal

English

Paul McCrone
Martin Knapp
Paul Cawkill

McCrone, P., Knapp, M., & Cawkill, P. (2003, October). Post-traumatic stress in the armed forces: Health economic considerations. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 16(5), 519-522. doi:10.1023/A:1025722930935